1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steam carpet and upholstery cleaning machine wherein the number and size of the parts have been reduced and wherein many of the parts serve several purposes.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
A steam cleaning machine for carpets typically includes a clean water tank and a recovery tank. A clean water hose joins the clean water tank to a pump and spray nozzle and a vacuum hose extends from a vacuum nozzle to the recovery tank. Water is pumped from the clean water tank and supplied to the spray nozzle and a large blower on the recovery tank generates suction whereby water sprayed onto the carpet is drawn through the vacuum nozzle and vacuum hose into the recovery tank. A brush for scrubbing the carpet may also be provided.
In older steam cleaners, the clean water tank and recovery tank were mounted on a first carriage and the spray nozzle and vacuum nozzle were mounted on a second carriage. More recently, carpet steam cleaners have mounted the spray nozzle and vacuum nozzle on the same carriage as the clean water tank and recovery tank. Such all-in-one machines are less bulky and cumbersome to transport and use, one such machine being sold by Rug Doctor, L.P. under the trademark EZ-1.
The EZ-1 has been redesigned, reducing the number and size of the parts and making them serve multiple purposes. The resulting machine has 25-30% fewer parts and is less expensive to manufacture because of materials reduction and because it is easier to assemble. The resulting machine is small, compact, well balanced and light weight, yet has better recovery efficiency than the older model. In addition, the equipment is much more maneuverable than the earlier two-piece steam cleaners or larger one-piece units in its ability to get under and around furniture without rearranging and disrupting the setting which allows the operator to concentrate on the task of cleaning the carpet.
The focus of this application regards a number of features that have been molded into a main support housing, resulting in a more efficient vacuum track, easier installation of a recovery tank and a fully adjustable handle. It also concerns a vacuum cover with a number of molded-in features, including a handhold that doubles as an air inlet for a cooling fan and apertures for a pair of vacuum hoses that support a dome sealed to the recovery tank.